Diet Pepsi debuts new sweetener

Weight watchers and diabetics may be interested to know that Diet Pepsi is changing up its sweeteners. And so far, they’ve done it on the hush-hush.

Since early December, diet soda fans in places like the Bay Area, New York and Omaha have started drinking Diet Pepsi with the revised ingredient list. While the old formula used aspartame as the only sweetener, this new formula includes acesulfame potassium, an agent that helps preserve the taste.

The ingredient switch-a-roo arrives a month before a major rebranding for the diet soda, which has fallen behind Coca-Cola sales in recent years. The latest campaign will include a new heart logo, the theme “Love Every Sip” and promises that drinking Diet Pepsi will make you look like Sofia Vergara.

The good (or bad) news is the new taste preserver, already found in many newer diet sodas. baked goods and chewing gums, is not expected to change the taste of Diet Pepsi.

PepsiCo spokesperson Andrea Canabal told the AP the roll-out of the new cans will be gradual:

“It’s not like a light switch. It’ll start appearing as shelf space clears.”